Viltrox Air AF 9mm f/2.8 Air 9mm
Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
What Buyers Say
Viltrox Air AF 9mm f/2.8 Air 9mm
The Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 lens for Fuji X mount receives overwhelmingly positive feedback for its sharpness, fast and quiet autofocus, and excellent build quality at a budget price. A few users note the lack of an aperture ring and some corner softness, but most consider it a great value compared to the Fujifilm equivalent. One reviewer received a wrong hood, and another found it heavy and less sharp than the Viltrox 35mm Air lens.
Pros
- Excellent sharpness
- Fast and quiet autofocus
- Great build quality for the price
- Good value compared to Fujifilm
- Nice color rendering
Cons
- No aperture ring
- Slight corner softness
- Heavy for some users
- Received wrong hood
- Less sharp than Viltrox 35mm Air
Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD lens is widely praised for its sharpness, versatile zoom range, constant aperture, and effective stabilization, making it an excellent all-around lens for APS-C cameras. Users appreciate its solid build quality and value for money, though many note it is noticeably heavier and larger than typical kit lenses, which can feel unbalanced on smaller camera bodies. A few reviewers mention minor issues like chromatic aberration at the longer end and noise from the aperture blades at certain settings, but overall sentiment is very positive.
Pros
- sharp image quality across zoom range
- constant f/2.8 aperture
- effective image stabilization
- fast and quiet autofocus
- versatile 17-70mm focal range
Cons
- heavy and large for APS-C body
- chromatic aberration at 50-70mm
- aperture blade noise above f/5.6
- short zoom throw initially stiff
- no aperture ring on Fuji version
Scores
Specifications
| Viltrox Air AF 9mm f/2.8 Air 9mm | Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | wide-angle | zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 9 mm | 17 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 9 mm | 70 mm |
| Elements | 13 | 16 |
| Groups | 11 | 12 |
| Aspherical Elements | 2 | 3★ |
| ED Elements | 3★ | 2 |
| Coating | Specialized Multi-Layer Coating Technology | Fluorine Coating |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/16 | f/2.8 |
| Min Aperture | f/2.8 | f/2.8 |
| Constant | ✓ | ✓ |
| Diaphragm Blades | — | 9★ |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Fujifilm X | Sony E |
| Format | APS-C | APS-C |
| Weather Sealed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Weight | 0.17 kg★ | 0.54 kg |
| Filter Thread | 58 mm | 67 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | STM + Lead screw focus motor★ | RXD |
| Stabilization | ✓ | ✓ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 130 mm★ | 190 mm |
| Max Magnification | 0.13 m | 1:4.8★ |
Pros & Cons
Viltrox Air AF 9mm f/2.8 Air 9mm
- Strong build (95th percentile)95th %ile
- Strong social proof (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong af (86th percentile)86th %ile
- Strong optical (84th percentile)84th %ile
- Below average bokeh (31st percentile)
- Below average versatility (34th percentile)
Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
- Strong optical (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong versatility (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong bokeh (89th percentile)89th %ile
- Strong aperture (86th percentile)86th %ile
Pricing
Viltrox Air AF 9mm f/2.8 Air 9mm offers 2.9x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 97 overall, wins 8 of 9 usage categories and 3 of 21 specs.
